Gas-generating furnace.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GAS-GENERATING FURNACE- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 26, 1906.

Application filed July 10,1905. Serial No. 269,050.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES. ALBERTO BUZZELL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Newburyport, in the county of Essex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGas-Generating Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to domestic gas plants, providing means for theeconomical manufacture of gas for illuminating and heating purposes.

To this end the invention primarily contemplates an improvedgas-generating furnace of the steam-heating type, said furnacecomprising means for not only generating steam for heating or otherpurposes, but also embodying a construction which provides for thegeneration of the so-called water-gas. In this connection the inventionprovides a practical form of furnace having simple and easily-controlledmeans for efiecting a combination between steam and the gases from hardcoal and oil to produce a high-grade gas suitable for illuminating andheating purposes.

One of the special objects of the present invention is to provide agas-generating furnace wherein the coal which is cooled by the steamcoming in contact therewith is arranged at the top of the fire-pot, sothat the same readily burns up again when the natural draft of thefurnace is allowed to operate, and also the construction is of such anature that the generated gas gives off a part of its heat to assist inthe generation of the steam.

With these and other objects in view,which will more readily appear asthe nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists inthe novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, whichwill be more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

The essential features of the invention involved in carrying out theobjects above indicated are necessarily susceptible to modificationwithout departing from the scope of the invention; but a preferredembodiment thereof is shown in the accompanying drawing, in Which thefigure is avertical longitudinal sectional view of a gas-generatingfurnace constructed in accordance with the present invention.

The furnace includes in its general organization spaced outer and innercasing-walls 1 and 2, arranged in upri ht position and is preferably ofa cylindrica form. These casing-walls 1 and 2 are mounted upon asuitable furnace-base 3 and are disposed in approximately parallelrelation the full height of the furnace-body to provide in the intervalor space therebetween a gas-circulating jacket 1, which receives thegenerated gas and conducts the same to the gas-dome 5, located at thetop of the furnace body or casing between the upper heads of theseparate inner and outer casing-Walls 1 and 2. This gas-dome 5 at thetop of the furnace-body has connected therewith a suitable gas-outletpipe 6, having therein a check-valve 7 of any approved type.

At the bottom the furnace-body is provided with a gas-tight ash-pit 8,provided with the usual door-opening 9, adapted to be covered anduncovered by an ash-pit door 10; but in carrying out the presentinvention the door 10 is so mounted as to have a gas-tight connection 11with the edges of the opening 9, which it covers, so there can be noescape of gas through the ash-pit. door when the same is closed. This isessential, for the reason that the ash-pit 8 acts in the capacity of amixing-chamber for the steam, oil, andcoalgas, as will be presentlyexplained.

Above the plane of the combined ash-pit and mixing-chamber 8 thefurnace-body has mounted therein in an upright position an interiorfir'echamber 12. This fire-chamber extends nearly the full height of thefurnacebody and is closed upon all sides and at the top. Said chamber ispreferably of a cylindrical form corresponding to that of the inner andouter casing walls 1 and 2 and is of less diameter than the innercasing-wall 2, so as to provide an intervening space 13, constituting awater-jacket, which accommodates the supply of water from which thesteam is gen erated; The closed top of the interior firechamber 12 isspaced a material distance from the crown or top of the inner casingwall2 to provide between the latter and the top of the fire-chamber an uppersteamchamber 14, with which connects a steamoutlet pipe 15, throughwhich the steam is led or conducted for heating or other purposes.

The water-jacket 13 is supplied with water through a water-inletconnection 16, piercing the outer and inner casing-walls 1 and 2 at thebottom of the wateracket and connected with a pump, injector, or otherequivlent apparatus usually employed for supthe like.

The upright interior fire-chamber 12 is in open communication at thebottom with the combined ash-pit and mixing-chamber 8 but within thelower open end of the said firechamber is arranged a fuel-supportinggrate 17 of any suitable construction, but preferably having an exteriorshaker connection 18, whereby the ashes and clinkers may be readilyWorked out of the fire and into the pit 8, from which latter they may bereadily removed through the door-opening 9. Contiguous to the upperclosed end'thereof the interior fire-chamber 12 is provided at one sidewith a fuel-receiving throat 19, extending through the outer and innerspaced casing-walls and adapted to be covered and uncovered by thefire-door 20. This fire-door, like the ash-pit door 10, has a gas-tightconnection 21 with the edges of the opening which it covers, so thatwhen the fire-door is closed no gas can escape through thefuel-receiving opening of the fire-chamber.

As indicated in the drawing, the fuelre ceiving throat 19 is arrangedquite a distance above the plane of the fuel-grate 17 at the lower openend of the fire-chamber. This entire space is occupied by a deepfire-pot 22, which accommodates the fuel. This fire-pot is preferablyprovided with a lining 23 to pro tect the metal wall of the firechamber12, and the smoke and other products of combustion from the fire arecarried off from the firechamber through an outlet-flue 24, con nectedwith the chamber near the upper end thereof and at the side opposite thefuelthroat 19. The outlet-flue 24 pierces the two walls 1 and 2 of thecasing and is connected with the exterior smoke-pipe 25, which is incommunication with a chimney in the usual way.

The outlet-flue 24 for the interior firechamber is provided with asuitably-oper- 'ated cut-off gate 26, which, in conjunction with thefire-door 20 and the ash-pit door 10, provides means for making theinterior firechamber an absolutely closed one as far as the naturaldraft circulation is concerned for the purpose to be presentlyexplained.

In connection with the gas-generating phase of the invention there areemployed an oil-feed ipe 27 and a steam-feed pipe 28. The oileed pipehas a connection exterior to the furnace-body with an oil-supplyreservoir 29 of suitable form, and to secure a maximum heating effect onthe oil circulated through said pipe the latter is preferablypassed'into the furnace-body through the outlet-flue 24 of thefire-chamber 12, thence downward through the fire-pot, preferably behindthe lining 23 thereof, and has its delivery end 30 o ening into theash-pit 8 directlybeneath t e grate-line, as clearly shown in thedrawing.

The steam-feed pipe 28 has a connection 31 with the steam-outlet pipe 15exterior to the furnace-body and is provided with a controlling-valve32. From this point of connection 31 with the steam-outlet pipe thesteam-feed pipe 28 is passed into the fire chamber through theoutlet-flue 24 thereof, and within the fire-chamber said steam-feed pipeis provided with a superheating-loop 33, preferably protected behind thelining 23 of the fire-pot, and one leg of which loop is provided at itsupper end with a discharge-port 34, opening into the fire-chamberdirectly above the plane of the fire-pot 22.

There is preferably associated with the steam-chamber 14 and thewater-jacket 13, in communication therewith, a water-glass 35, havingupper and lower nipple connections 36 and 37 with the steam-chamber andWater, jacket, respectively, and the upper of said nipple connections 36preferably has connected therewith a steam-gage 38 of suitable form.

A plurality of gas-escape ports 39 lead from the ash-pit 8 directlybeneath the grateline to the lower end portion of the gas-circulatingacket 4.

In the operation of the furnace for gas-generating purposes the firewithin the fire-pot is allowed to become well started under theinfluence of natural draft through the ash-pit door 9 and theoutlet-flue 24, and after thus being started the fire and ash-pit doorsare closed and also the cut-off gate 26 in the outlet-flue 24. With thefurnace thus adjusted the oil is permitted to feed through the pipe 27,and the same is vaporized under the influence of the heat upon thependent portion of the oil-feed pipe within the fire-chamber. The gasfrom the oil is discharged from the delivery end 30 of the oil-pipeimmediately beneath the grate-line, and during the same operation asupply of steam is admitted through the steam-feed pipe 28, and the samebecoming superheated in the loop or coil 33 is discharged from thedischarge-port 34 above the fire. The pressure of steam in the space atthe top of the fire-chamber above the fire serves to drive the steam andgas from the products of combustion down through' the entire depth ofcoal and into the ash-pit, where said steam and other gaseous productsmix with the oil-gas within the ashpit and pass out through the ports 39into the gascirculating jacket 4, from which the gas is carried offthrough the dome 5 and the pipe 6 to the point of use.

In further explanation as to the condition to which the fire is broughtbefore sealing the fire-chamber it is to be noted that the fire iscarried to a sufficiently high temperature above the steam-generatingpoint to provide first for not only generating a considerable quantityof steam, but also for placing this steam under sufiicient pressure tocause the steam to be forced through the fired bed. of fuel. Also thetemperature of the fire is brought to a sufficient degree to place thebed IIO of fuel in suitable condition for decomposing the steam injectedat the point 34.

It will be observed that the construction described provides anarrangement whereby the coal which is cooled by contact with the steamis located at the top of the fire-pot, and hence burns up readily againwhen the natural draft of the furnace is restored, and it will also beobserved that the generated gas assists materially in the generation ofsteam Which may be utilized for heating or other purposes.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, andmany advantages of the herein-described furnace will be apparent withoutfurther description, and it will be understood that various changes inthe form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resortedto without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing anyof the advantages thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to besecured by Letters Patent, is

1. In a gas-generating furnace, a furnacebody having a steam-generatingchamber, an interior fire-chamber provided with a bottom fuel-grate andhaving gas-escape ports below the grate, an oil-feed pipe extendingthrough the fire-chamber and having a delivery-port beneath therate,'and a steam-feed pipe arranged to de iver steam under pressureinto the fire-chamber above the fire-bed therein.

2. In a gas-generating furnace, the furnacebody having asteam-generating chamber, a fire-chamber, and a mixing-chamber below thefuel-grate of the fire-chamb er, said mixingchamber having gas-escapeports, means for discharging oil in gaseous form beneath the grate, andmeans for passing steam under pressure downward through the fired fueland through the grate into the mixing-chamher.

3. In a gas-generating furnace, a furnacebody having an envelopinggas-jacket provided with an outlet connection, an interior fire-chamberspaced from the jacket to provide an intervening water-jacket opening atthe top into a steam-chamber, said furnacebody being further providedbelow the grate with a mixing-chamber having ports communicating withsaid jacket, an oil-pipe arranged to discharge oil-gas into themixingchamber, and a steam-pipe in communication with the steam-chamberand also with the fire-chamber above the fire-line in the latter.

4. In a gas-generating furnace, the furnacebody having inner and outerspaced casingwalls inclosing therebetween a gas-circulating jackethaving an outlet connection at the top, an interior fire-chamber havinggastight closures and spaced from the inner casing-wall to provide anintervening waterjacket communicating at the top of the steam-chamberand having a steam-outlet connection, said furnace-body being furtherprovided below the grate-line with a combined ash-pit and mixing-chamberhaving gas-tight closures and also having gas-ports in communicationwith said gas-circulating jacket, an oil-feed pipe arranged to dischargeoil-gas into said ash-pit and mixing-chamber, and a steam-feed pipearranged to deliver steam in the fire-chamber above the fire.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES ALBERTO BUZZELL.

Witnesses:

EDWARD H. RowELL, BLANCHE B. KIMBALL.

